Husky WR430 1987 - Fork Swap Question

I recently modified my son Joe's bike with the Race Tech emulators, adaptors and fork springs.
Race Tech part number for 40mm Husqvarna forks is FEGV 3801 and adapter part number is
FPEV AD3805P.
Adapters are only $19.95 for the pair, so I thought that was cheap enough to go ahead and buy them.
Race Tech can provide Eibach springs for your 87. Use the www.RaceTech.com spring calculator to select spring rate for your weight.
Race Tech suggested this set up for 210 lb rider: emulators with the blue spring set at 2 turns of preload, .48 kg springs with 10mm preload, 15 wt fork oil, oil level set 120mm from the top, with springs out and forks collapsed.
These forks came off an 84 250 WR and are mounted on a 79 390CR.
I drilled out the damping rods as specified by Race Tech. Which meant drilling through the 2 existing holes with a 5/16" bit. Drill through 1 existing hole and straight through. Then turn the rod 90 deg and locate the center between the 2 sets of holes previously drilled and drill another pair straight through for a total of (6 x 5/16") holes.
Obviously, deburr and clean throughly before reassembly.
Unfortunetly we won't be have a chance to ride the bike with the new Race Tech set up until next weekend, but I'll definately let you guys know how it works or what adjustments we had to make.
Ron

It isn't about fork swapping however I wonder why I have never read on this forum about a fork brace. Ok the significantly earlier ones had one, I got one but never adapted it. I have contemplated it when I ran the 40mm forks but never did it. When the Honda xr 250, xr 250 with 280 kits and then xr 400 were commonly entered fork braces for them were extremely common. I suspect the reason the sensosr for my ICO unit kept needing replacement was that the wheel flexed around so much the magnet took out the sensor.

Fran

The 3801's fit the 35mm forks, the 43xx? fit the inside of the 40mm perfectly. On the 87-88 forks, a short piece of 1 1/4 pvc presses over the end of the damping rod and the emulator presses into the top of the pvc. The fork spring pressure holds it all together.
They probably sold you smaller OD springs that fit the 35mm fork also. Last time I called, they did NOT match the diameter of the 40mm springs.

Scoot,
I'm also in the process of restoring a 77 Husky 250CR for myself and I am doing the Race Tech set up in my 35mm forks also.
Emulator part number FEGV 3301, FPEV AD3304P adapter, with FRSP 255048 .48 kg springs.
These parts are definately smaller in diameter than what they supplied for the 40mm's.
The 40mm springs FRSP 305548 I have in the 40mm's have more than the minimum .160" clearance around the emulator valve plate for proper flow as specified by Race Tech. So no, they didn't sell the same springs for both forks.
All I care about is how do they work?
Ron

I am also curious how the RaceTech emulators work. I have a 78 250CR with the 35mm forks that I want to do something with.

Bill, I'm probably a month or more away from having my 77 up and running.
I'm just about done with the roller, but haven't started to work on the motor yet.
I'll let you know how the Race Tech fork set up works when I get it all together and running.
I was hoping to have it together for the Elsinore GP Nov 13, but its not looking like I'll be ready.
I may have to ride the Hodaka again. Whoo Hoo!!
Ron

Nice restore on the 390 for sure!!! I think it looks better than the one I once owned when it was new.

Question - did your FEGV 3801 emulator for your 40mm tubes fit real tight on top of the dampeners or was it fairly loose? I ask because a prior post by Scott in this same thread indicated RT might be accidentily selling the 35mm emulator for the 40mm fork (if I understand his post correctly). Per the RT site, your emulator has a 31.0mm OD and the next larger part (FEGV4101) has a 33.5mm OD so fitting inside the tube should not be an issue. But the emulator fits on top of the dampener with a stepped edge and the FGEV 3801 inside lip is 25.0mm whereas the FEGV 4101 inside lip is 26.0-27.5mm (adjustable range I guess) per the RT site. So I need to measure my dampener's top ID when I pull my forks apart this weekend. Your thoughts on the smaller vs larger one? Scott - any ideas? I need to buy the right one. I just bought the .48kg springs which should help a lot and will know in 1 week.

Also, best source for new 40mm tube bushings??? RT does carry them anymore so am thinking Halls or Husky parts site. Pricy devils...

The top of my damping rods (84 250WR forks) is flat. I only dressed it a bit with a file. The 3801 emulator and adaptor fit in the fork tube loosely. I used a bit of grease on the adapter to hold the two pieces together and pushed them in, with the tube laying on it's side. My double check is the preload spacer height.
Not sure, but I believe RT designed the emulator diameter to be small enough to allow oil to return to the lower leg on rebound and rely's on oil viscosity to alter rebound action.
Ron

The 3801 vs. 43?? both seem to work. And oil viscosity seems to effect rebound mainly. However, the oil is supposed to return on rebound through the springloaded one-way check plate. The outer diameter is sealed off by the infamous Husky fork tube wiper/seal. The bigger the emulator diameter, the less pressure on the weak seal.
I measured the 40mm tube I.D. and ordered from their chart. When I tried to order springs, they were smaller in diameter than stock and I was worried about bending/rubbing and didn't get them. Cut the stockers to raise springrate instead.

It looks like after a decent wait I will finally receive a completel 92 Showa fork front end off a 92WR360 for my 87 WR430 next week!!! The price was to good to pass up so will give it a go and am expecting big improvement. Hopefully I can slide up forks 1 inch, if necessary, to avoid a taller front end issue impacting steering as someone in the know mentioned is a possibility. Will keep you posted.

If you want to slide the forks up that much, take the springs out and compress them all the way and make sure the wheel isn't bottoming into the fender. You want to find that out in the garage, not off that big double.

Lot's of good info here. Thanks guys - my main reason for wanting this info is because I want better front brakes cuz I'm going to turn a 1987 500xc into a supermotard.

I got to say thanks for this keen insight as this does NEED to be checked before riding. God is in the details and I must wonder with my head so full of crap for work and family if I would have checked this??? Another frightful "what if" thing to wonder about... Like the time I got home after a VERY high speed run on the big bore and found a piece of like welding rod sticking out of the tire that was not there before the ride as I looked really good and checked air pressure.

Ya they don't leave much clearance, especially on the old dual shockers up through 84, and I'd presume it's pretty close on the singles as well. The wheel actually hits the front frame down tube right about the same time it hits under the fender. Neither is good! This can literally kill you... that front fender will come a-slammin' down and clamp that front wheel to an instant stop. The other place to check if one is planning to raise up the original style right-side-up forks is whether the lower slider is hitting the bottom triple clamp. We obviously can't go farther than that, even if we have down tube and fender clearance. My 81 woods bike is 1/4" from the bottom of the triple at full compression.

Some good points, on items to double check. Easy to overlook, if not being thorough in checking/confirming all is good/safe.

Well I just took delivery on a complete front end off a 92 WR360 that had been on a 87 CR430 sitting around for years!!! It will be mounted on my 87 WR430 as soon as I can get to it over the next 2 -3 weeks so stay tuned for updates. It should be a direct bolt on and use the same races bearings et al - praying for an easy mount since it came off an 87 replica of my bike. The Showa forks are rebuilt with new seals and wipers with both rebound and compression and preload adjustments - whoa - modern stuff for sure. I like the Nissin brakes too. Hope I do not raise that front end much or I will need to find an 87 CR rear end or ???

Do we get to see any pics? Now or when mounted?

Incidently, swingarms, linkage, and shocks are super easy to find for these, on ebay. Due to all the unfortunate bikes getting parted out. Just a matter of being on your game, with how to ID the correct part, as sellers commonly only know so much.

Pictures to come for sure so stay tuned. Right now the whole front end is just siting on the floor in a connected pile. Good news: I was told but needed to confirm for my own belief that the front of my bike would NOT change in height with these forks. My OEM are approx 26.5 in from center of front wheel axle to bottom of lower race at frame neck and the new upside down Showas are exact match - to good to be true. It even uses the same races and bearings or this one has been adapted already. Excel rim/spoke ends have some slight corrosion in areas so need to pull the tire and stop this. Any suggestions on metal cleaners and protectors for this? Well God is in the details so we will see on the install but I am hopeful for the direct bolt on I was promised.

Update on the Showa forks: if retro fitting an 87 WR430 try to find 92 Showas off a 250/360 husky as the 93 Showa version is cheap with NO adjustments and the internal spring is 1/2 the length with a huge spacer for cost cuts, this is per my bike guy who rebuilt them and had to steal a lower tube off a 93 set up (same part) so we had different years side by side, one looked like Walmart but still Showa. Interesting.

Lol, that is interesting. Walmart huh, who woulda thunk it.

Sounds like a super easy swap though. Gotta love that.

Install update - dropped OEM forks off my 87 430WR after all these years and enduros and had the Showas from a 92 360 WXC installed/greased up in 2 hours. They bolted right on my bearings on the bike needed greased so timing was good!!! And the distance from axle to bottom of neck is exact same so no rake/steering issues - to good to be true. And a Nissin brakes upgrade. The forks used same bearings and races as my WR 87 but a word of caution for all: since these Showas had been retrofitted to an 87 430CR being parted out I am not sure if they changed the lower bearing on the stem to match my 87 430WR. In any case it was a perfect fit and the forks feel awesome for the garage test.

Now changing out tire/tube for new gear and building alum bracket for speed sensor mount at axle area. I will get some pictures. The bike looks reborn and bad to the bone. Forks totally rebuilt inside and new seals/wipers so almost time to ride. Highland Park Ga lookout, here I come! This may be the best $300 bucks I ever spent. Need to buy a new fender for the 87 WR430 new front end - who is best source for plastic?